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Survey Finds Deep Mistrust for Muslims in Canada
Muslim women stand waving a Canadian flag in anticipation of Canada Day festivities. Photo by George Rose/Getty Images
A new poll shows that more than half of all Canadians distrust Muslims.
The nationwide survey indicates that as many as 52 percent of Canadians feel Muslims can be trusted "a little" or "not trusted at all." The poll showed that 48 percent of respondents said Muslims can be trusted "a lot" or "somewhat."
What's more, 42 percent of Canadians said discrimination against Muslims is "mainly their fault."
Muslims registered the lowest levels of trustworthiness of the religious groups asked about in the survey.
Vatican Concludes Investigation of Clergy Abuse in Ireland
Clergy abuse protest in Dublin, 2002. Photo via Getty Images.
VATICAN CITY — Following a yearlong investigation into decades of rampant abuse in the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland, the Vatican today called for more rigorous screening of would-be priests and compulsory child protection classes in seminaries.
Pope Benedict XVI ordered the "Apostolic Visitation" of Ireland's seminaries, religious orders and four main archdioceses in 2010 after a string of Irish government commissions detailed the extent of child sexual abuse in Catholic institutions and exposed a cover-up by several senior churchmen.
The team of church investigators included New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who was tasked with inspecting Ireland's seminaries, and Boston Cardinal Sean O'Malley.
A seven-page summary of the investigation's final report was released by the Vatican on Tuesday, and said investigators identified past "shortcomings" that led to an "inadequate understanding of and reaction to" child abuse, "not least on the part of various bishops and religious superiors."
But the investigators also stressed that the child protection initiatives undertaken since the 1990s were "judged to be excellent."
Coptic Christians Mourn Death of Pope Shenouda III
Egyptian Christian Copts wait in the queue at St. Mark's Coptic Cathedral. (GIANLUIGI GUERCIA/AFP/Getty Images)
Egyptian Christians are mourning the death of Pope Shenouda III, the longtime leader of the Coptic Orthodox Church, who died on Saturday (March 17) at the age of 88.
His funeral will be on Wednesday (March 21) at St. Mark's Cathedral in Cairo, where his body has been sitting in state on a large wooden throne.
Tributes have come in from around the world, with Pope Benedict XVI offering prayers and President Obama praising Pope Shenouda as an "advocate for tolerance and religious dialogue."